Long time lurker now looking for help. 
We have had Humphrey for about a month (he's three months old at the moment). We are doing really well on the potty-training and training in general. He knows sit, stay and come although it is hard to get him to do anything if he doesn't want to do it. Stubborn as usual
One of the major problems is biting. He gets more excited when we yelp (like a littermate) which causes him to bite more and harder and the shaker can makes him more aggressive as well. One of the vets suggested we hold our hand over the top of his muzzle and slap our hand (I guess to mimic hitting them) but that didn't seem like a good idea at all. We also tried the standing still and crossing our arms so we are stopping play and ignoring him but he will start to bite our ankles and feet and then when we try to leave, he will follow and the biting continues. We tried to be consistent but as soon as it worsened the behavior we tried something new. Is this a bad idea or should we have stuck to it?
(A few times we left him alone but trying to get him into a room alone also results in more biting)
Another big problem is that whenever he is in his bed (which is in the lounge) and we get up to leave, he will perk up and watch us and if we leave the lounge completely, he will get up and follow us to the kitchen (where we are usually going) where he searches around for food or he will follow us and then go to the kitchen. The problem here is that it happens almost everyday. I think maybe desensitizing him to us leaving, like going out and then coming back in will fix this. I'm not sure though.
He also has a serious obsession with food. Whenever he hears a rustle like a crisp's packet, he will run into the kitchen and sit down expecting food. He also does the same thing when he hears the pantry cupboard opening. Even if he is sound asleep, the dog will get up, run to the kitchen and search for food or expect food. It is a little annoying when you are trying to make yourself breakfast or just getting a drink and instead of him sleeping, he is sitting there looking innocent. We usually make him go out of the kitchen but that doesn't seem like it is solving the problem. So any help here would be very appreciated.
He will also run to the kitchen every time we bring him back inside from being outside for potty. He makes a beeline for it and usually we have to run after him and turn him around. Of course this is even after he has drunk water and been fed. He just always goes there even if he is perfectly content. Its for food most definitely. So maybe train him to not go there?
maybe....
I thought the problem might be because he isn't getting enough food as we feed him 3/4 a cup of dry food (at each meal, three times a day) and sometimes on top of that he gets treats and whatnot so really a cup might be the normal amount (The food is a mixture of Nutro Natural Choice and Hills Science Diet. I know these are not the best foods and are high in grain but my stubborn parents think that is the right choice just because the vet said it was the best
). But even after he has eaten, he will still search for food. Is this normal?? (He also just had a health exam and came back perfectly fine so I didn't think it was worms just a basset hound being a hound)
Also are we supposed to let him wander around until he is tired and then direct him to his bed? We usually know he is tired because he starts to yawn so we pick him up in his blanket and wait till he falls asleep and then put him in his bed. Is that not ideal? Should we just wear him out till he is tired and wants to go to sleep? Sometimes he gets really angry when we pick him up for nap time as he wants to continue running around.
He is going to go to puppy-preschool soon for socialization and we are also getting him used to being outside.
(Other things I thought to add: I think the window for crate training has closed too. He was not born in a crate-like den but in a sort of open pen. The first couple of nights we had his bed in this box on its side and he did not like it in there and kept sleeping on the other end which was poking out. He seems a whole lot more comfortable with sleeping in the open without a little den than with one. Surprisingly too the above problems are the only serious ones. I thought we might have had more after we got him.)
I'm really sorry for the length but I wanted to be really clear and I would rather get the opinion of people who have owned bassets than someone who has no idea what they are really like.
Thanks for reading and hopefully replying with useful ideas. I attached a picture below of him for those curious.
We have had Humphrey for about a month (he's three months old at the moment). We are doing really well on the potty-training and training in general. He knows sit, stay and come although it is hard to get him to do anything if he doesn't want to do it. Stubborn as usual
One of the major problems is biting. He gets more excited when we yelp (like a littermate) which causes him to bite more and harder and the shaker can makes him more aggressive as well. One of the vets suggested we hold our hand over the top of his muzzle and slap our hand (I guess to mimic hitting them) but that didn't seem like a good idea at all. We also tried the standing still and crossing our arms so we are stopping play and ignoring him but he will start to bite our ankles and feet and then when we try to leave, he will follow and the biting continues. We tried to be consistent but as soon as it worsened the behavior we tried something new. Is this a bad idea or should we have stuck to it?
Another big problem is that whenever he is in his bed (which is in the lounge) and we get up to leave, he will perk up and watch us and if we leave the lounge completely, he will get up and follow us to the kitchen (where we are usually going) where he searches around for food or he will follow us and then go to the kitchen. The problem here is that it happens almost everyday. I think maybe desensitizing him to us leaving, like going out and then coming back in will fix this. I'm not sure though.
He also has a serious obsession with food. Whenever he hears a rustle like a crisp's packet, he will run into the kitchen and sit down expecting food. He also does the same thing when he hears the pantry cupboard opening. Even if he is sound asleep, the dog will get up, run to the kitchen and search for food or expect food. It is a little annoying when you are trying to make yourself breakfast or just getting a drink and instead of him sleeping, he is sitting there looking innocent. We usually make him go out of the kitchen but that doesn't seem like it is solving the problem. So any help here would be very appreciated.
He will also run to the kitchen every time we bring him back inside from being outside for potty. He makes a beeline for it and usually we have to run after him and turn him around. Of course this is even after he has drunk water and been fed. He just always goes there even if he is perfectly content. Its for food most definitely. So maybe train him to not go there?
I thought the problem might be because he isn't getting enough food as we feed him 3/4 a cup of dry food (at each meal, three times a day) and sometimes on top of that he gets treats and whatnot so really a cup might be the normal amount (The food is a mixture of Nutro Natural Choice and Hills Science Diet. I know these are not the best foods and are high in grain but my stubborn parents think that is the right choice just because the vet said it was the best
Also are we supposed to let him wander around until he is tired and then direct him to his bed? We usually know he is tired because he starts to yawn so we pick him up in his blanket and wait till he falls asleep and then put him in his bed. Is that not ideal? Should we just wear him out till he is tired and wants to go to sleep? Sometimes he gets really angry when we pick him up for nap time as he wants to continue running around.
He is going to go to puppy-preschool soon for socialization and we are also getting him used to being outside.
(Other things I thought to add: I think the window for crate training has closed too. He was not born in a crate-like den but in a sort of open pen. The first couple of nights we had his bed in this box on its side and he did not like it in there and kept sleeping on the other end which was poking out. He seems a whole lot more comfortable with sleeping in the open without a little den than with one. Surprisingly too the above problems are the only serious ones. I thought we might have had more after we got him.)
I'm really sorry for the length but I wanted to be really clear and I would rather get the opinion of people who have owned bassets than someone who has no idea what they are really like.
Thanks for reading and hopefully replying with useful ideas. I attached a picture below of him for those curious.
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